Did you know that being overweight is a cause of high blood pressure?

What is high blood pressure, overweight and why is excess weight a risk factor?

Both overweight and obesity have become a very serious problem for the health of many people. So much so that even the World Health Organization (WHO) itself has come to consider it as a real epidemic; an epidemic that affects millions of people around the world. And that becomes, in fact, a cause of high blood pressure.

While we talk about hypertension when the systolic pressure is 140-159mmHg and the diastolic is at 90-99mmHg, there is overweight when our body mass index (BMI) is equal to or greater than 25kg / m2, and obesity when this index is equal to or greater than 30 kg / m2.

Overweight makes our heart have to work with a greater intensity, hence, fundamentally, the extra kilos are one of the main factors that should be avoided when we try to combat the arterial hypertension. In other words, overweight significantly increases the risk of suffering from this disease.

In this sense, both overweight and obesity become risk factors that negatively influence our blood pressure, in the same way as other factors as usual as for example is the case of hereditary factors, stress , kidney diseases or coronary heart disease.

Moreover, the risk factor is much greater, and much more dangerous, if it is also combined with the existence of high levels of fats in the blood (such as cholesterol and triglycerides). Something extremely common, since excess weight is always accompanied by other pathologies and related problems, such as hypercholesterolemia. What together with genetic predisposition we are faced with an explosive cocktail.

Effects of hypertension on your heart

And why is overweight a cause of high blood pressure?

In addition to that when we are overweight our heart tends to cause our heart to work much more forced (since it has to work more intensely, which influences that blood pressure rises), in turn excess fat body always present in excess weight contributes to this pressure increases. Especially since childhood.

In fact, as has been proven, it is estimated that for every 10 kilos of weight of more -or gained- blood pressure increases between 2 to 3 mm Hg.

Some useful tips if you have high blood pressure and overweight

In this case, the relationship between the waist and hip should be taken into account, because when this ratio is greater than 0.80, the risk of suffering high blood pressure and some type of cardiovascular problem increases.

For this reason, Weight control is essential in any medical treatment of high blood pressure, since it is very common that the person with hypertension also has some excess weight (perhaps not so much obesity in all cases, but a few kilos more than recommended according to their physical complexion).

But, as you can suppose, especially if you read us for a long time, not only consists of watching over the excess weight, but taking each day a series of guidelines (and precautions) in what has to do with our daily diet:

Potassium:Among other issues, the consumption of potassium, a measure that if combined with a reduction in salt intake (in people like high blood pressure), can help against high blood pressure.
Healthy fats:The consumption of Omega-3 fatty acids, and its increase is simple, since it is enough to consume several times a week bluefish or take a supplement or pearl of fish oil enriched with omega 3.
Magnesium:The magnesium consumption It is also associated with lower blood pressure, as well as increasing the consumption of calcium and avoid or reduce coffee consumption.
Animal fats:The consumption of animal fats should be minimized.
Increase other foods:It is also advisable to increase the consumption of fruit, fiber, vegetables and legumes.

For example, adopting the Mediterranean diet is one of the main nutritional recommendations, since it is a type of diet especially rich in healthy fats, where fruits, vegetables, legumes, whole grains, white meat, blue fish, fruits dry and olive oil are the protagonists.

In addition, the regular practice of moderate intensity physical exercise, if possible every day (or at least 3 to 5 times a week), for at least 30 minutes. This article is published for informational purposes only. It can not and should not replace the consultation with a Physician.We advise you to consult your Trusted Doctor. ThemesHypertension